


Rasing You, Pup

by Wealthywetsunny



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: Angst, Biting, Brainwashing, Captivity, Chains, Choking, Classical conditioning, Collars, Drugs, F/M, Fluff, Humiliation, Kidnapping, Pet Names, Predator/Prey, Training, bliss, hostages
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-05-25 05:36:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14970209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wealthywetsunny/pseuds/Wealthywetsunny
Summary: **DISCLAIMER**This story is a rewrite of something I did earlier and will have the same characters and some of the same scenes, but will have a new story line—————————Jacob gets a call from Joseph to investigate a suspicious caravan that’s in possession of a cage and plan to drive it out of Hope County. Once he arrives on the scene he finds inside a beaten girl. When she takes off into the woods out of fear of his men he only trusts himself to chase her down. Jacob’s forced to remember how to empathize and care for someone else again. A position he gave up when him and his brothers got separated. But this girl brings something out of him, makes him care for another living being outside him family. He wants to capture her, tame the wild spirit she proves to be.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Set before the Deputy arrives

Her head was pounding to the rhythm of the car. Every twist and turn in the road had her body careening to a different side of the cage. The metal floor rubbed painfully against each cut on her body that they gave her. The darkness was getting to her now, along with the hum of the car. It was twisting her mind around.

She was scared.

Her fear amplified when the car that was attached to her cage began to speed up. They must be getting close to the border of Hope County. The driver was getting restless. She couldn’t blame them. Wanted out of this thing just like they did. Though she knew that whatever happened once she got out would be just as bad as when they were in the depths of the Henbane, on some abandoned lot Eden’s Gate overlooked.

Her cause for concern came in when she heard additional cars added to the mix. The shouts of men mingled in made her mind scramble for some explanation. They sounded angry, while the people driving for her side sounded more subdued than she ever heard them. They must be scared. Just like her.

When the car came to an abrupt stop she flew to the front of the cage, by the doors. She pushed her ear up to the doors to hear better. The voices came out jumbled, way too hard to discern. But one thing made clear was the approaching footsteps. Her instincts kicked in. The only thing keeping her alive at that point was her animalistic urge to survive. She scuttled on hands and knees to the back of the cage, she huddled up in the corner, back turned so she wouldn’t be blinded by the daylight awaiting her. She prayed to God for the stamina to be able to make a run for it when the door opened.

—————————-

Jacob’s hand tightened around the steering wheel, tendons on his neck pulled tautly. His upper lip twitched into something resembling a snarl. John lounged next to him, feet propped up on the dash. He would’ve yelled at him, but knowing how pristine John was, there was no worry for dirt being left behind. His head was tipped back and for once he was wearing his glasses. “How did we get roped into this Jake?” Jacob wanted to smash his face in. John just wouldn’t shut up. Kept complaining like the younger brother he was.

“Joseph’s orders. Thought you didn’t like crossing him?” John pinched at his nose and sighed. “Jake, the day I come over for a visit and suddenly we got this shit.” Jacob couldn’t disagree there. It sucked. John needed someone to talk to, vent out all his issues. So they met periodically, broke out a few beers and sat back to watch what they built together. The fruit of their labor.

“Joseph doesn’t think it’s anything serious John, maybe contraband, why else would they want it out of Hope County? It’ll take five minutes once we reach the caravan, except that’s only if they don’t put up a fight.” John shifted his position, taking down his feet and leaning on his elbows, head between his knees.

Jacob ordered two parties to intercept the drivers they were chasing. One from behind and the other to cut them off in the front. They had the manpower to stop them if they didn’t hand themselves over, along with whatever was in their possession that piqued Joseph’s interest.

They reached the stopped vehicles in twenty minutes. Jacob’s men had already gotten to work in removing everyone from their cars and lining them up. They kneeled with their hands tied behind their back. Some sported new bruises that were definitely made from the butt of a gun slamming into their eye socket.

Jacob reached over to shake John’s knee. “C’mon, let’s get this over with.” No protest rose from his brother. He was all too eager to jump out of the car and stroll over to the cage. It was covered in a black tarp. John kicked it. “Probably not an animal. Don’t think this’ll be any use to you, Jacob.” It was almost as if John still thought he could take back the last hour and go back to Jacob’s compound. In fact, if John’s hair wasn’t doused in so many products then Jacob would ruffle his head just to piss him off further.

“Step away from the merchandise John. Let the professionals handle it.” John turned and scoffed. But he followed Jacob’s order. Side by side they stood, bickering, teasing, most importantly talking about what they’d do when they were done with this shit.

One of The Chosen walked up with a crowbar in hand. The cage wasn’t reinforced that well and snapped open with little force.

Jacob had waved off his brother’s comment to stop him from talking, he kept his focus on the cage. He wanted to first get a look at whatever It was, start to formulate the amount to trouble these people would be in or what use the item would be to Eden's Gate.

But what he saw made him stride forward, motioning for his men to get back. The darkness of the cage made it difficult for him to see anything. The emptiness was suspicious, the lack of noise led him to believe that they wasted their time. Maybe a ruse. Something to capture everyone’s attention while some more serious event occurred, some planned attack.

Jacob crouched down to the opening and squinted. At first, he didn’t see it. Her.

She was so damn tiny. Malnourished. Not an ounce of fat or muscle on her body. Not to mention how pale she was. Like she hasn’t seen the sun in years. The hair on her head was long, no doubt from lack of grooming on her guardian’s part. It was a strawberry blond color, further adding to her paleness, her whole aura screamed an innocence that Jacob hasn’t witness since his twisted childhood. She had a small frame, her height wasn’t even half of John

But then she turned her head, hand coming up to shield herself from the light. He noticed her shift so his kneeling body could cover her from as much of the light as possible.

The face she had was lean, as was to be expected. Her eyes were sharp, keen. Seeing her now made him guess she was no older than 17 maybe 18. It made him sick to see the state she was in. If there’s one line Eden’s Gate doesn’t cross is messing with children. Joseph made it clear that children were pure. The path to success for their future. They shouldn’t be tampered with. Inducing trauma may lead to the loss of the childhood joy and wonder that only kids could produce. Jacob, John, and Faith had no problem enforcing such a rule. They all had rough lives growing up, they knew the mental damage that could result in hurting the young.

Jacob moved away when he felt his brother come up behind him. “Take a look, just don’t get too close, don’t frighten her.” He ignored John’s confused look and walked over to the line-up of men.

“So this is what the growing resistance stands for? Do you really think that our loyal followers will betray The Father to come to you?” He let out a mocking laugh. “We promise their loved one's safety from the collapse and...of course, people like you. You are what they fear at night. Maybe you all have too much pride to admit that fact. Maybe..” he paused in the middle to stare them all down. To watch them shake and shudder under his gaze. “Maybe you would all benefit from a visit from my youngest brother.” On that line, he looked over his shoulder.

John had gone a scary shade of white. “John!” His head snapped up. He didn’t need to be prompted again to walk away from the crate. Jacob stood with his arms crossed over his chest. “Thinking about sending this group to your people. New batch, that should give you something to do. Consider it a gift.”

John hummed an agreement, normally he was the one for getting hyped up over absolving sin, not now. This had brought him right back to his dad and the Duncans. Astoundingly he didn’t feel anger, just fear.

Jacob took note of this. “Go home John, call Joseph, I can handle this. Take one of the trucks, I’ll grab it another time.” Jacob watched him walk away, each step he gained back his confident gait. Though he avoided looking at the cage again.

Jacob leaned against his car, hands drumming out a tune that John was singing earlier. His men loaded up the captives in the cars they had, making their way to Holland Valley. He could feel his stress building, he wasn’t prepared for this bullshit. A situation that he didn’t have the expertise for. It’s been too long since he protected his brothers from their father’s rage. Now he had to do it all over. Dig up his empathy, which he thought had burned up after his time in the war.


	2. Chapter 2

The light wasn’t burning her eyes anymore, so she risked crawling toward the front of the cage. Gazing out, she took in the scene around her.

Scraggly people moving about with an urgency that frightened her. She should feel happy though, those people who tormented her were currently being carted away. And yet...she couldn’t help but shiver from thinking about what was in store for her. The men that crowded her space looked dangerous.

She needed to go. Now. When everyone was distracted. The ginger who screamed threats at everyone earlier had his head down. His cronies were busy making him happy by working fast and efficiently. Her body leaned forward, she crouched down on her toes, arms braced on the ground in front of her. Deep breath. Count to three. She couldn’t think about it, if she thought too hard then she’d chicken out, or wouldn’t go as fast and get shot.

So that’s exactly what she did. Eyes screwed shut she counted to three and leapt up. Her body slammed into someone else. A huge wall of a person who reached out to grab her. Those goddamn instincts of hers kicked in. Her hand shot out to grab at a knife strapped on his thigh, held securely on a sheath.

A second later and the man had a machete pushed into his side, down to the hilt. The sound he made was god awful. Brought attention to them both. A chorus of shouts rang out around her. The blood that rushed to her ears made it difficult to tell what they were saying. She wasn’t sure if they were telling her to get down or if they were organizing to kill her.

She stood there and watched the panic swirl around her. The panic on her part forced her legs to move. She had to forget the men training rifles at her back. All that was on her mind was sprinting into the woods and dodging between the cover of the trees.

————————

Jacob kept his head down. Fingering the radio at his side. Waiting for John to pass the buck off to him, making him call Joseph. Or The Father himself wanting to speak. Not a conversation he was in the mood for. Right now he was convincing himself to walk over and coax the girl out.

When he looked up next he almost walked over right then, the kid had her head peeking out. Staring at the woods. Probably debating her chances on if she’d make it or not. Jacob wanted to see her try. See if she’d make it, or how his men would react when he hadn’t given explicit orders to keep her alive or shoot her. Sounded like a good enough training exercise.

Jacob put his head back down, kept drumming out a song on the metal of his car. He rolled his shoulders back, looking at the boots that would occasionally cross his line of sight.

He saw it before the scream reached his ears. The movements she made were fluid. Practiced. Jacob smiled. Color him impressed. The girl could hold her own. But underneath it all, he was still pissed. That was a good man. A man who went down because he let his guard down around a girl who looked like she would collapse any second.

Jacob strode toward the commotion. “Everyone stand down! Back up!” Jacob looked over his men. He began to do what came naturally, delegate. “I want two teams to escort those men back to John. The rest of you go back to the compound. If you haven’t heard from me by morning then call Joseph.” They followed his directions obediently. Leaving Jacob to stare at the spot where she once was. Situations like these always got worse. Joseph needed to start learning when to pick his battles.

———————-

Her feet moved fast over uneven terrain. Rocks and fallen trees acted as perfect cover. It made it easy to run for five minutes into the woods, then allowed her to circled back. When she got closer to where she started she slowed her pace. Pushing her body lower to the grass she stayed still. Waiting. Playing the long game. Whoever decided to hunt her would most likely be skilled in the forest. Meaning her biggest hand up right now was the element of surprise.

She almost missed him. His steps were light. He moved so silently, eyes roaming, sweeping around his surroundings. No doubt he was a better hunter than she was. This was his turf. She could see how at ease he was. Like this was a game to him, his stance said that he knew that he’d get her in the end. He was so confident in his abilities that there was no rush.

She kept watching him until he was twenty feet ahead of her. She rose from the ground, stepping out of cover.

It was a shot in the dark but she was hoping her hunch was right. She thinks he enjoyed the hunt. Think it excited him. She needed that advantage if she wanted to get out of these woods. It would be the ultimate plan, to get in his head, twist him around, then leave while he was occupied in playing a game that she bailed out of.

She made her move when she noticed him stop. He was crouched down low, running his hands along the mud. Probably tracking her. Using her footprints.

She angled herself to be in his periphery then walked calmly, back straight, right towards him. Her hands were crossed behind her back. She had to hope he didn’t have an itchy trigger finger.

——————-

His head snapped up when he caught sight of a blur of movement. He stayed crouched when he saw her. Her face was a mask of tranquility. Jacob repositioned his body. He moved to be facing her, on his knees, hands limp at his side. He wanted to make a grab for the music box. It’d be really easy. But she was just a child. She wasn’t a threat.

She fell on her knees in front of him. Their legs bumped together. He could now see the curiosity she had. Her eyes were full of it. He didn’t reach for a weapon, curiosity wouldn’t kill him.

Her hands reached up to touch his cheek. Tracing the burn marks that marred his skin. He squashed down the self-conscience need to pull her hand away. When she saw no resistance from him she continued. Her frail hands drew light touches up to his temple. Then down to where his beard first started to grow. She smiled sweetly at him, leaning forward to get close to his ear. Meanwhile, her hand moved to his throat, holding him while applying no pressure.

“Have you got a name little lamb?” She froze like she didn’t expect him to speak during this ordeal. She hummed lightly, pulling back slightly to brush over his dog tags.

“Layal.”

He went to nod but felt her hands tighten minutely around his neck. “Let’s play a game. You and me…” she glanced down, “Jacob.” Her eyes flitted up to his, still smiling. This whole thing was surreal. She came out of the brush like a damn spirit. Then she provided gentle touches and words that didn’t cross above a whisper. Joseph would get a riot out of him seeing this girl as godly.

Angelic even. That’s the word that first came to mind. Jacob went to agree, wasn’t sure what came over him but damn if hunting didn’t already fill him with excitement. But when he refocused she was turning on her heel. Leaving his neck and face feeling cold without her touch.

———————

When she was far enough away she moved to the trees. That was now two things she pushed in her favor. Made her chances of getting out alive higher. The element of surprise and higher ground. People don’t look up while hunting, meaning she’d go unnoticed.

From branch to branch she jumped. They were close together. Making her job easier. The only problem is that he still prowled below her and the slightest noise or misstep would mean her capture. Or death. So she kept him in front of her at all times, four tree lengths ahead. She swiveled her head back and forth. On the lookout for a break in the trees.

She finally saw a way out, thank God considering how her joints were aching. Locking up, making each jump more difficult. She wasn’t sure when she’d catch another break. And the small shack that she saw seemed like a blessing.

The descent she had to make in order to get level with the roof was done quickly. Not because she was good, but because of her impatience. Her foot got snagged a couple times, causing her growing anger at this situation to build.

Once she was to the side of the roof she planned to land on she prepared herself to jump. It was far. But there was nothing for her to use in order to get closer. She’d have to risk it. She pushed her legs off the tree, arms out in front of her to grab at an overhang.

She must’ve misguided the speed at which she went through the air. Not to mention the trajectory. She was too high. There was nothing for her hands to grab onto.

She felt a sharp stab of pain in her abdomen before her vision went dark.


	3. Chapter 3

Layal woke with a jolt of pain in her body. Tingling down to her toes then racing back up to her neck. Her vision was hazy, a flickering light hovered to her right. The pain started again, this time a rush of cold air made her shiver violently. Her arms moved to push herself up, find some sort of blanket, cause what she now saw was a fireplace, wasn’t doing much to keep her warm. But a force on her shoulders pushed her back.

Jacob’s head was tilted as he stared at her, brows pinched down. A subtle frown was on his lips. His hand found its way to her chest, feeling her heart. “Hey, breath.” She felt her chest stutter uncomfortably before she crashed her head back down on a pillow. She hadn’t realized how difficult it was to suck in. When she tried there was a sharp pain that made her gasp and hold onto his military jacket.

Jacob moved to hold her, putting her so she sat between his legs, her back to his chest. He placed his hands below her ribs and squeezed lightly, pulling up and applying pressure. She tipped her head back. “Better?” She whined in response but nodded. He was doing the best he could, she couldn’t fault him for that.

Layal glanced down and saw the tank top she was wearing was split down the side. Stitches lined her body, along with a scattering of bruises. “You really did a number on yourself huh? You’re a fighter though. Not sure how you lost so much blood and are still breathing.” But she barely was, each breath became more strangled. Whatever Jacob was doing with his hands was helping, but she was still freaking out.

Spots colored her eyesight. The noise she made was close to that of an animal. “Hey, honey, c’mon, breath with me.” Her eyes frantically searched around. But Jacob crowded her. Holding her cheeks, stroking lightly. “By morning we’ll be outta this shit hole.” Layal, finding some solace in his warmth managed to fall asleep.

——————  
Jacob left early morning. He wasn’t sure who’s cabin he took for the night and didn’t intend to find out. It’s not like he intended to reimburse them for the lock he busted. He moved out of there fast, just when the sun was over the horizon, doing amazing things with the sky. The problem being he had to get out of the woods first to go back to his car.

To make matters worse, Layal’s breathing was uneven. She clutched her side. His heart went out for her, she wasn’t really sleeping, more like unconscious. The whines she released with every movement had him going slower then he hoped.

Things didn’t get better when they went out to the car. The twists and turns in the road causing her to curl in on herself. Nevertheless, he went fast. Couldn’t have his compound going up in flames if he was gone for too long.

So, for now, he ignored the girl writhing next to him, in the same seat that John occupied with his humor and bravado only a few days before. It disappointed him that he had a weak thing sprawled in his car when before he saw potential in her. The way she hurt his man when she had no choice in order to escape, or how she lured him into some sense of security before running off into the forest. She was good. Not anymore though.  
He’s trained many people. Watched the weak die too. He rarely spent time breaking people only to build them up. It was a long, arduous process which may not even work in the end.

He’d take a chance on her. He knew all about twisting the mind. And hers was already damaged. That wasn’t easy to miss. The sadness she carried radiated off her. No doubt she was abused when in the care of those low lifes his men found her with. Meaning she’d be desperate for praise. He could use that. If they were lucky then he wouldn’t have to physically harm her.


	4. Chapter 4

No one questioned where Jacob was all night when he arrived later that afternoon. They didn’t ask why he went through so much trouble to save a dying girl either. He didn’t need to justify why he saw potential in the possible murderer she could be.

His hands were still covered in flakes of dried blood by the time he made it back to his office and deposited her in his chair. Jacob rummaged through the cabinets in his bathroom. He grabbed a syringe then a vial that was supposed to help with infections. He lined the medical supplies on his desk.

He moved to make her sit up straighter from where she had half slumped onto the ground. Jacob moved to lift her shirt over her head. She whimpered when he put her arms up. The pain had almost vanished during the car ride, just a numb sensation that she could forget about. But now with him adjusting her like a rag doll, the spikes of discomfort had her squirming. “Shh. Shush.” His thumbs rubbed the skin of her collar bone. Yet the words he offered did nothing to ease her distress.

Jacob grabbed one of his shirts for the time being for Layal to use. The white tee shirt hung loosely on her, acting more like a short dress. Because of that fact, Jacob moved to remove her jeans.

Her eyes opened lazily, watching him as he wrestled her out of them. She flinched when Jacob ran a hand over her leg. Over old scars and yellow bruises. Ones that their trip in the woods didn’t cause.

Jacob grabbed her again to place her on a small couch he owned. She immediately curled up with her legs pulled to her chest, facing away from him and shivering. He reached to place a blanket over her.

Good enough.

He fell back into his office chair, head pounding. Feeling like he needed twice the amount of alcohol that was healthy. And considering he kept a stash in the lower drawer of his desk. He felt around for the neck of the bottle. Once he had a firm grasp on it he wasted no time in unscrewing the cap and placing it between his lips. Jacob drank until he was tipsy, head buzzing.

A large thump brought his attention to the other side of the room. By the time he was able to focus on the form in front of him, he notice Layal moving as fast as she could on unsteady feet. Her hands braced on a small kitchen island he had. His soft chuckle made her head jerk up. He pushed his legs out to move the swivel chair. “Come.” His hand gestured for her to come near. But she didn’t. She stood still. Knees shaking like a newborn deer.

Her hands dived into a drawer in search for a knife. Jacob stood up, gazing at her quizzically. He swayed as he took a few steps towards her.

Layal moved fast to grab at the door. When she rounded the island, even in Jacob’s drunken state, he held her around the waist and threw her to the ground. The yelp she let out was high pitched and full of pain. Jacob loomed over her before dropping to his knees and placed large hands on her shoulders. He shoved her back and snarled.

He ran his eyes over her scared features. “Can’t say I appreciate insubordination. Guess it’s the militarism in me huh?” The alcohol was doing a number on his words. His speech was slurred and his word choice wasn’t exactly the normal, calculated Jacob.

One hand held her by her neck, the other tugged at her shirt, pulling it up. The whine she let out this time around didn’t sound pain filled. He laughed, tapping her pelvic bone. Jacob dipped his head to suck at her neck, slowly moving lower. He tossed her—his—shirt over her body. He ran feather light kisses and touches alike, on her torso. Jacob squeezed her hips one more time before directing his attention lower.

He leaned back on his heels to get a look at her face. Eyes slitted, lips parted and panted. Perfect. Jacob took his middle finger and circled her entrance. Then moved onto her engorged nub. She whined and bucked her hips. Jacob laughed, this time standing up to lift her up. “Not tonight, honey, do me a favor and forget about this.” He placed her down under one of his windows, which was barred up. Jacob attached a pair of handcuffs to her wrist then the bars.

He strolled over to his bed, watching in the low light as she squirmed to try to find a comfortable position, though that would be impossible considering how her arm was twisted up.

Jacob layed back on the pillows and pretended not to hear her cries


	5. Chapter 5

When she woke it was from Jacob’s rapid movements. He ruffled papers against his desk, opening and closing cabinets periodically. He sat stretched forward, leaning over his desk, pencil tip pressed to his temple as he leaned on his elbows. Bags hung over his eyes. He looked tired, and she wasn’t surprised. The sun wasn’t up yet and she could hear him tossing around in his bed before she dozed off. 

Layal tried to keep still. She didn’t want him to know she was awake. She was afraid that he might bring up what happened the other night when he got drunk and she made a run for it. But the burning sensation around her wrist began to make her fidget. The clanking of the metal bars against the handcuffs were loud in such a quiet room. And if definitely had Jacob looking in her direction. He studied her for a second before releasing a sigh and standing up. He approached her with a key dangling from his hand. 

He made quick work of her restraints, just tossing it to the side carelessly. Jacob leaned back so he was sitting on the floor with her. Without a word he tangled his index finger around a thick strand of her hair. He twirled it until it was tight around his finger, then let it bounce loose. “I’m having my men take you to the chair today, then the cages after that. Beginners advice..you might wanna do something with this hair before then.” As if to prove his point he moved to fist an entire chunk of her hair in his solid grip. She scrambled for purchase, grabbing at his wrist. 

“Makes you an easy target.” The smile he gave her could barely be classified as such, but it was the most positive emotion she’s seen out of the man. Then again, it probably wasn’t sincere. 

Jacob rose and grabbed her to trail along behind him. He paid little attention to how he was practically dragging her across the cement floor along to the bathroom. “Clean up, towels are in the bottom cabinet, I’ll bring you clothes later. And do something with your hair before I do.” 

She let out a sigh of relief at finally being left alone. She wasn’t used to this much interaction. Before this mess, she was tossed to the side. Kept in a room that only had a bed and a toilet, plus some books. Her captors barely ever spoke to her. But Jacob’s behavior where he was constantly on her case had her on edge. Made her twitchy. Especially when he mentioned a chair and cages like they were some Olympic event. 

Still, pain flaring over her body or not, she moved to get ready. The shower she took was brief. Maybe five minutes. Where she came from, the showers were timed, some bullshit about preserving water. When she stepped out she noticed a change of clothes on the toilet lid, Jacob must’ve entered without her knowledge. 

Her fingers traced over what he chose for her. It was cheap shit, that much was obvious. The only thing that really impressed her were the gloves and boots. They looked like they were ready to take a beating, prepared to get mangled and dirty if need be and still hold together. 

Another two minutes and she was fully dressed and wrestling with her hair in front of the foggy mirror. Maybe Jacob was right. It was too long, she knew from experience how someone could grab it when it billowed out behind her as she ran. And with Jacob’s whole military/army business she figured that she didn’t want such a disadvantage. 

Inside the cabinets she found a knife. Around the tip of the knife she saw tiny bits of hair. Ginger colored hair. The knife was serrated so it could be easy to shave with it, but cutting out thick hair wouldn’t be simple. Not that she could afford to go out and ask for a pair of scissors. She didn’t know Jacob all that well and thought he might just laugh in her face and tell her to fuck off. 

Scissors it was then.

The cuts she made had her looking like a baby duck. She cut it above her ears. It was jagged work. Sloppy too. As she ran her fingers through it and tugged, she realized how difficult it was for others to grab her. It’d have to do for now.


	6. Chapter 6

When she stepped out of the bathroom, Jacob was leaning against the wall by the door, head down with his phone held in his hand. He glanced up momentarily, but didn’t mention her mangled hair. 

Without looking up from his phone, he opened the door and let it swung open. In marched two men wielding large rifles. One of them sported a bow over his shoulder. They flanked her immediately, the one with the bow placed his hand on the small of her back and gave a light push. “Take her to the chair.” She moved automatically, not wanting to provoke them. 

She tried to memorize all the twists and turns they were taking. But even if she managed to break free from them, this entire place looked similar. It was a goddamn maze. 

Her heart accelerated when she was shoved into a darker room. It had three chairs that were wooden and looked like they were about to snap under the next person’s weight. In front of the chairs, on the opposing wall, was a projector. Layal’s upper arm was grabbed to draw her closer to one of the chairs. She was forced down, her wrists were strapped into place, restricting her movements. Once the men stepped back and walked out the door she squirmed, pulling at what was holding her down. Even the small level of movement had her panting. She was starved and dehydrated, she was in no condition to escape. 

The door opened suddenly, making her jump. Jacob walked in, drinking in the sight of her disheveled form. The dread in her eyes was palpable. 

He stopped in front of her and watched as she raised her head to meet his gaze. He saw the anger and irritation there, but he also could see her carefully hidden insecurities. How scared she was that conditions here would be no different from how the rest of her life faired. 

“Layal, the people of today don’t understand how vital it is to be strong. The word strength has been lost over the years, societies expectations have lowered. And when the collapse comes upon us, the human race will fizzle out because we don’t know what it means to be strong.” He leaned closer to her so she could see the intricacies of his burnt skin. “You know real strength. You know what it takes to come out on top every time. But I can make you better. Hone your skills until you don’t even consider weakness, because with the new world that won’t be an option.” 

Jacob produced a wooden box and held it out for her to look at. He opened the lid, watching each expression that flickered across her face. 

Pain filled her skull. The music overwhelmed her senses, made all her muscles twitch and jump to get away. Her vision swayed side to side, splotches of red and black mingled together until she slumped over, unconscious.


	7. Chapter 7

Train...hunt...kill…sacrifice. 

That mantra ran over her mind. Washing over her subconscious until it became muscle memory. In the span of thirty minutes she became a pro at lining up the sight of her gun to someone’s head. Pulling the trigger, running the maze of hallways, it was more of a sport. She didn’t think killing would be easy if he actually placed a gun in her hand, but running now with the people in front of her turning to smoke, she could deal with that.

She was yanked out of the simulation when she ran out of time. Missing a single step or being a tad too slow meant not making it to her target. She ran this same course over fifty times and got it right thirty eight times. Apparently those odds were good enough for Jacob. Because suddenly she was yanked out of the simulation with a throbbing headache. 

Jacob removed what was holding her to the chair then stood back to see if she would move. Her eyes were glassy, still trying to focus on the real world. She felt her stomach churn when she shifted. 

He lowered himself to her level, a smug look decorating his features. “You’ve done well kid. Can’t say I’m surprised though. I figured you’d get the hang of it, so you’ve yet to impress me. Which Is why I’m sending you to the cages.” Jacob moved away, out of her line of sight. When she looked around the room the last thing she was able to see was the butt of a gun slamming down onto her temple.  
—————-  
The pull of sleep was comforting. Coaxing her to succumb to what she guessed was a concussion. On any other occasion she would’ve surveyed her surroundings, know what she was dealing with. But instead she stayed still. Eyes still tightly shut. Now with only her hearing to give her some indication to what was going on she heard the tell tale ring of Jacob’s voice...but strangely different. This made here look around and raise up on her elbows. 

It wasn’t actually Jacob addressing her. A loudspeaker projected the words that Jacob ingrained into her and everyone else’s mind. 

She was locked away in a large cage with way too many people. Her back was pressing uncomfortably into the bars. People were scrambling to get away from the right side of the cage, where a bunch of Judges were recently placed during their sleep. Those who were placed there and didn’t wake in time were being pulled apart in front of them. 

When she looked to her right she saw a cage of more people. They were all hardened. An expanse of muscles and lack of a friendly face.

The unfamiliar environment had her rising to her feet. She ignored the commotion as much as she could and walked over to the front and held the cool metal in her grasp. Her forehead thunked against the bars, eyes slitted open. Discreetly her gaze roamed over what the peggies were doing. 

Her fingers reflexively let go when one of Jacob’s man approached the cage to jingle a key into the lock. He began to read off last names, people who were expected to follow him. The man hesitated for a beat before gesturing to her and speaking to another guy stationed behind him, “Jacob wants her down to medical before the cages, said he wanted one of those chips we were testing out to be used on her.” 

The nauseous feeling that came after her time in the chair returned. Just the mere mention of Jacob’s name had her on the verge of tears. If he was the one who personally ordered for something to be done to her as part of some fucked up training, then she knew better then to remain at ease.


	8. Chapter 8

His medics worked over her carefully. They had direct orders to go fast, but at the same time, the operation they were doing could damage her permanently if they weren’t careful.

The incision they made rested behind her left ear. It was the last model they had made after numerous failed attempts. A tiny scar would be the only indicator of anything happening. The little amount of hair she had covered it up. 

An hour later she was tossed out of the medbay and escorted to where everyone else was waiting. 

The only term she could use to describe what she was seeing is an arena. The kind of shit that was seen in Roman times. There was even a viewing area. Which she didn’t fail to notice Jacob up there, arms crossed behind his back. She couldn’t see where he was looking exactly, so maybe she imagined the slight nod he gave to her. Either way, she shuddered from fear. 

Layal stumbled forward at the command of a Peggie. Everyone rounded into the enclosed space. The ground was rough, like a blacktop. 

A loud whistle pierced through the air. It made some people jump, including her. The cage doors closed, slamming shut behind them, keeping them locked in. About ten feet ahead was an assortment of weapons. A few people were starting to understand, they rushed forward, making more run. It turned into a violent stampede of bodies scrambling to get over one another. 

But she couldn’t move. She’s never actually killed someone. She never felt what’s it like to plunge a knife into someone’s neck then watch the light leave their eyes. Dying might be better. Might benefit her. Get her out of Jacob’s iron grip. Small sacrifices. 

“Get out there. Fight. You’ve done this before pup, It’s just like training.”

The words she heard weren’t coming from one place. She tried to pinpoint the location. It felt like it was coming from everywhere, drilling right in her skull. Frantically she looked around. People were busy tearing into each other with the sparse amount of melee weapons. They acted like they couldn’t hear Jacob’s voice. It was inside her, this disembodied thing. 

“Tick tock honey.”

She fell to her knees. It hurt. Her head was throbbing. It was a pounding sensation that blurred her vision. She wrapped her arms around herself. She wasn’t ready. Why the fuck did he think she was ready? Unless this was some form of punishment. 

Only you…

No. Her head snapped up. Red. All she could see was red blotting out the scene in front of her. It was like a shot of adrenaline, but everything was sped up. She felt her body move on its own accord. 

“Cull the herd.”


	9. Chapter 9

There was pain running through her body. Her head still hurt. Still pounding out a dull tune. There were shivers running up and down her spine. Her head was being supported by something soft. She wasn’t cold, quite the opposite, for the first time in a while she felt content. Like she could relax. 

She woke up with the same feeling as she did when she went through training. A foggy feeling that placed a cloud over her head. It slowed her movements. Layal shifted, hands grasping to figure out where she was. To see if there was anything to perceive as a threat around her. 

Jacob’s hand came up to push hair away from where it was sticking to her forehead. “Hey, take it easy pup.” Her body relaxed at the sound of his voice. The same voice that his training made her so susceptible to. 

Layal cracked open an eye to look up. Her head was lying in his lap. They were on his couch in his office. She squirmed slightly and felt his hands go to her ribs holding her in place. Off to the side he was busy doing some sort of paperwork. Every few moments he’d look back at her. When he noticed her finally starting to rouse, he moved to pick her up. She easily fit into his grasp, curling her arms around his neck, nosing at his pulse. 

In a few steps he made it to his desk, there was just enough space to place her down. He patted her cheek a few times to wake her up. “You’re still with me yeah?” She dumbly nodded. Head turning to take in her surroundings. She inhaled deeply to compose herself. Layal hadn’t seen this room for almost two days, though with all the training he put her through it could’ve been a lot longer. She lost track of time when he put her in the chair. 

The biggest change she could see was the tiny cage. Inside there was nothing to act as a buffer between her body and the floor. If she was put in there, then there would be no comforts. Layal began to grow more nervous, Jacob’s silence was stifling this time around. Mostly due to the fact that she wasn’t aware what she did during that time in the arena. Had she impressed him? Better question yet, did she kill anyone? She didn’t want to lose any part of her humanity. Layal couldn’t remember what happened and was too afraid to ask. 

So she sat obediently, tired, scared and letting Jacob’s conditioning wear off. She kept her eyes downcast, hearing Jacob shift through drawers. He came into her field of view, invading the space between her legs. He tipped her head up, fingers skimming through her short hair and briefly tapping behind her ear. The pounding of his fingers made her jerk when pain exploded through her head. She steeled herself, hands going to grab at the desk she was sitting on. When she focused, Jacob was scowling, muttering to himself. She only caught a few words. He sounded angry, eyes flicking back up to where he touched on her skull. While she was still reeling from the pain, he moved to clip a leather collar around her neck. The dazed state she was in made her limbs too heavy to inspect the new addition to her clothing. 

He moved to pick her up and she couldn’t protest. Not with the conflicting feelings running through her body. Jacob placed her in the cage, on her hands and knees, he ran his hand down her spine before shoving her forward until he could lock the cage behind her. Her arms gave out, making her slam down on her chest. The cry she let out went unnoticed, as Jacob was already stepping out of the room. He turned the light off before he left, letting the office drench in total darkness. 

She moved to sit up. Hands coming around to check her body. She searched for wounds. There were scratches on her face, running down her arms and legs. That wasn’t anything to be concerned about considering the pain that exploded on her leg. With careful touches, she let the tips of her fingers run over her left leg. When she brushed over her knee she found sutures along her skin. Another scar to add to the list. The pain from the injury she got when Jacob first tried to catch her was throbbing. Moving to much would stretch the skin on her torso. It was just starting to heal but still didn’t allow for much movement. But now that pain dulled in comparison to the wound that was fixed on her knee, which followed down her leg, stopping at her ankle. 

She shifted, looking for a good position to sleep. She ended up lying on her back, hands tossed behind her head. She felt stabs of concern run through her mind. There was fear for what Jacob would make her go through tomorrow. She showed her strength in his music box trials, but she couldn’t do the fighting again. It’d break her.


	10. Chapter 10

He’s been gone way too long. It wasn’t hard to keep track of time with the windows that decorated the room. It’s been three days and two nights and she was sure she was dying. During the time of Jacob’s training plus her time kept in his office, she hadn’t eaten for five days, the same applying for water. She wasn’t sure if she did something wrong, or if he forgot about her. Either way she was terrified. 

To conserve enough energy as possible she didn’t move, not like her injuries allowed her to. Her muscles were stiff from lack of use and she knew that she wouldn’t be nearly as strong as Jacob wanted her to be. 

The worst part about the whole thing was the isolation. The lack of human interaction was driving her mad. Each time she woke, whether from sleeping through the night, or one of the naps she took in the day, she’d hope someone would be there. Layal longed to see Jacob’s face. To hear the same voice that conditioned her to kill those people, because at this point she knew she must of killed them judging by the stitches she now had. 

Her eyes flicked shut for the night at the thought of him. Sleep took away pain and loneliness. It gave some respite from her new life.   
———-  
It was raining. The weather in the mountains changed often. Carrying thunder then humidity that comes after rain once the sun begins to shine. The rain was rushing at the windows harder than it ever had since she’s been stuck in the cage. It made her curl up further. She shifted slightly to turn her back to the window. 

“She’s awake! Jacob!” 

“And sleeping, be quiet.” 

Both voices were ones that she didn’t recognize. That made her scramble to a sitting position, pushing her back to the wall. She pulled her arms across her chest, legs crossed. When she was brought to Jacob’s office he had changed her into his loose fitting white t-shirt. The same she wore that first night with him. She felt practically naked in front of the strangers. 

“Jacob!” The female turned around, hands holding onto the bars, bouncing on the heels of her bare feet. Layal looked over her face when she glanced at Layal again. The smile she gave made Layal’s shoulders relax slightly. The fact that she knew Jacob and was allowed into his personal space had her calming down too, they weren’t a threat at least. The girl looked way more friendly then the man, who stood with hands clasped behind his back. 

The coat he wore was dripping with what she presumed was rain water. His head was tipped to the side watching her, brows furrowed slightly. The blue shirt underneath, covered by a way too expensive vest, was opened low on his chest. From the view she got of his exposed skin, Layal could see a metal key that swayed when he shifted his weight. He also brandished a nasty red scar which was easy to see due to the amount of buttons he ignored. Unlike the girl, he didn’t offer her a smile. Just a calculated stare that unnerved her.

The man turned when Jacob entered, towel wrapped around his waist and hair sopping wet. “Does she speak?” Layal squirmed uncomfortably when all three of their eyes trained on her. 

Jacob only shrugged, despite hearing her voice before. “Sometimes.” The man nodded slowly, still drinking in her appearance. 

The girl bounced on her toes a soft smile on her lips. She leaned into the bars. “The poor thing looks terrified.” The man wearing mostly blue laughed lightly, “And starved, what would The Father say, Jacob?” This time around everyone eyed Jacob, though he didn’t seem as affected as Layal did. He only mumbled something that made the unknown male chuckle. 

Jacob went over to unlock the cage and snapped his fingers to instruct her to come forward. Layal maneuvered her injured leg to drag behind her as she pulled herself forward. When she moved, the stitches on her torso stretched painfully tight. But she gritted her teeth, remembering the praise he would often give her during training. He may not be placing food in front of her, but seeing his outstretched hand meant he would give her physical touch. Something she’s been starved of her entire life. 

When she got close enough he pulled her up, letting her lean against him when she whimpered in pain from her leg. Layal tipped her head down, afraid of what they would say if they saw the mark of ownership in the form of a collar around her neck. 

The girl rushed forward, crowding her space. Jacob jerked them back, away from her, “Easy Faith.” 

Faith. 

She stored that name away. Might be useful. 

The girl named Faith did stop in her tracks, giving him a deer in the headlights look. The man behind her sighed and shook his head. “You think she’s good enough?” Jacob didn’t have time to answer before the man was talking again. “If she fails your trials then The Father says she could be useful elsewhere. That The Voice told him to find her. She special Jacob.” 

Jacob huffed, pulling Layal down on a nearby chair. “If she’s so special then she’ll do fine here.” 

“Maybe this isn’t the right job for her.” Layal could see how tense Jacob was, the way the muscles in his neck were tight with annoyance. 

“John, give her a chance before you sink your claws into her.”

Jacob   
Faith   
John  
The Father

She could remember that. Ask later. When Jacob wasn’t angered by these people’s visit or when he wasn’t training her. 

“And Faith, I’m not letting you turn her into one of your brain dead angels.” Faith’s mouth opened wide in surprise. She fixed her expression to smile. 

“I just wanted to see the new addition to our family. I heard The Father talk about her and wanted get to know her.” The slim women radiated innocence as she glanced between Jacob and Layal. But Layal didn’t let her guard down, not when Jacob looked to upset. 

“Leave. Both of you. Just leave, tell Joseph I said hi and that I don’t need someone checking in on me, I can handle things by myself.” Faith skipped out of the room, waving goodbye to Jacob and a giving a light smile to Layal. 

John lingered, taking his time as he walked to the door. “Joseph knows you can handle yourself. You’ve proved that. You’re doing good work. He knows that you’re good at turning people into soldiers. He just wants you to be careful. Don’t break her.” He cast a look at Layal before walking away. 

“You telling me to let love into my heart?” John stopped. A frown on his lips. “I thought that’s what Joseph wants you to do, not me.” John’s jaw clenched, an exasperated look in his eyes. Layal had turned in her seat to look at their interaction. John had opened his mouth to say something, but Jacob had already closed the door in his face, going as far as to lock it. 

Jacob walked to his desk, throwing himself down in the chair. The annoyance was still there, the tension in the room was stifling. It was scary to have a man like Jacob to be upset, she didn’t know enough about him to know if he was the type to take out his anger on other people. Especially when said person can’t do much to defend themselves. 

Layal stood up slowly, noticing that Jacob’s eyes were on her as she took unsteady steps. There was a fleeting look of pain across her face. She hobbled until she could use his desk for support, taking a moment to catch her breath. 

“You’re gonna tear your stitches.” 

She froze. He didn’t sound mad, just stating a fact. She stood still to see if he’d do anything, when he didn’t, she kept on moving. Once she was in front of Jacob, she collapsed on his lap. She heard him suck in a breath of surprise. 

Layal squirmed to make sure she was sitting somewhere where she wouldn’t fall off, arms wrapping tight around his neck since he wasn’t helping. He just stared at her with mild curiosity. When she stopped moving and considered to be comfortable enough he ran his fingers through her hair. “Good girl.” Her body went slack against his, mind lighting up at the praise. 

Layal buried her head into his neck. She felt him gently tug a strand of hair. “You need a shower.”


	11. Chapter 11

She was basically skin and bones at this point. Nothing special to look at anymore. So she had no probable with using the shower while he got dressed in the confined space with her. He might not of been staring at her, but she couldn’t say the same. 

The body the man had. 

Muscles that rippled right under the surface of sun kissed skin when he shifted. His biceps always looked wide under his shirt, now she could see the strength he exuded. He was slim, not quite six pack status, but still insanely well taken care of. It was obvious he didn’t squander the body he got from his time in the army. Lucky her. She got front row seats to him while she washed herself off. 

Layal never thought a shower felt so good. At home, those people never gave her many times to wash off. They’d beat her bloody and let her rot in her filth. Jacob wasn’t as cruel as them. At least not yet. 

He let her stay in as long as she wanted. Which turned out to be ten minutes. Jacob held up a towel for her when she stopped the stream of water. He wrapped her up like a burrito, arms stuck at her side as he hefted her up over his shoulder. 

The change of clothes he had for her was different from last time, save for the boots and gloves she had when she he sent her to the chair. 

Jacob ran a thumb over her collar. He leaned forward to press a kiss to her neck, then led a trail up to her jaw and behind her ear. When he pulled away he let his fingers linger behind her ear again, pushing lightly until it made her yelp from pain. “You’ll stay strong for me right Pup? You’ve made me proud so far, keep up the good work.” He stood, pulling her along so his hand was pushing her forward. 

The direction they took was foreign to her. She wasn’t sure if she was going to the chairs, this place was confusing and way too large. Layal still tried to remember which turns they were taking. They were going slower because of her new limp which helped her memorize the hallways. 

Jacob’s hand moved to her shoulder to guide her. They came to an abrupt stop to step out of a door that led them outside. She twisted her head to look around. It made her stomach drop to see tha malonorishrf people. It reminded her how bad he could make her life. Jacob’s hand squeezing her skin made her keep her eyes straight ahead, looking around to see Jacob’s men training.

A mixture of running, sparring and shooting. Fitness and endurance tests that she could imagine herself failing miserably. 

Jacob shoved her towards a group of young men and women. “You’ll practice with them.” She turned to protest but he was already walking away to observe a different group. 

Layal looked back to the people who were obviously way more prepared than her. They mingled like old friends, stretching their muscles before the run they were about to do. She knew she should be practicing to some extent, but she was afraid she’d tear her stitches. Didn’t Jacob have the same concerns earlier? 

A sharp whistle cut through the air and everyone was moving. Layal pushed through the throbbing in her leg and side. Each step was excruciating. She was the slowest out of all of them, straying far behind. The run was short, soon replaced by an obstacle course. 

Basic military shit. The kind she saw in movies. Running through tires placed diagonally from the last, crawling under barbed wire in a mud pit, and climbing over a wall that had a rope dangling down. Throughout the whole thing she stumbled. But she kept going. In her mind she was planning just how she would attack Jacob next time she saw him. The asshole knew the state she was in. He was going to break her. 

She practically threw herself over the wall once she reached the top, landing down on her side. Layal scrambled to stand on shaking feet. She noticed the people walking slower, going towards a table loaded with guns.

No. 

That’s where she drew the line. She didn’t want to learn how to shoot. How to kill. She didn’t want to think of playing God, stealing away the life of someone else because it’s either kill or be killed and if she doesn’t murder them, then she’ll be the one lying dead. Still she walked up to the table to stare at the collection of guns, watching as everyone took one to line up to look at the target that were about a hundred feet away. They did it with ease. She wondered how many people they killed. 

She didn’t reach for any of the rifles waiting to be used. Layal got to the end of where they lined up and ignored the shots that went off that made her flinch. She turned her head away from them. Her eyes caught sight of a winding pathway. She wasn’t too sure where it went. But it had to be better than this shit, maybe even a way out. 

She walked away with a confident gait, no one yelled at her. So she kept going. With each step she got further away from that hell. 

Suddenly she was jerked around a corner when someone yanked on her arm. She tried to release a scream but a hand was covering her mouth too fast. She tipped her head back against a broad chest. She scraped her hair on the cold metal of dog tags. The glare she was met with made her tighten her muscles. 

“You’re really something else you know that?” In a move she didn’t have time to process, he was straddling her, locking her hands above her head. Whenever she squirmed he would tighten his thighs around her. There were tears of frustration dripping down the side of her face. 

“Aw, pup, hey. What’s the matter? You were doing well, making me proud.” She rolled her head to the side, the anger was bubbling up. ‘Doing well’...was he teasing her now? 

“You’re upset huh? That’s alright. I’ve been too hard on you. You’ve reached your limit. Now I know where your breaking point is.” Jacob took one of his hands away from holding her down to wipe away her tears. “Tell you what. I’ll take you back of my office, wait until you’re healed before with resume this. How about a reward?” He laughed when she put her eyes back on him with renewed interest. 

“Got your attention now? Good, you’ll enjoy this. It’ll be a different form of training to replace what you’re not ready for yet.”

He let go of her wrists, hands straying low to lift her shirt, throwing it over her head. His fingers made easy work with pushing her bra down. The cold air from the mountains made her nipples harden. Jacob twisted them a few times before she was whining from the sensitivity. 

The kisses he placed on her skin nothing at all like how Jacob presented himself. She expected rough treatment, but was blindsided with his show of affection. He pulled away to run his hands down her side, stopping at her hips. His eyes lingered on the scattering of old scars she had. He leaned back down to kiss one of the worst, thick and damaged with a pink color. “You’ve been fighting all your life. Think you could get used to something a little different?” 

He moved his hand to cup her cheek, pulling her towards him to they could properly kiss. She let out a sigh at how light it was. More like a brushing of their lips. 

Jacob climbed off of her. Offering a hand to help her up. He did one last once over of her exposed body before walking away. Calling over his shoulder, “Come back to my office when you’re able.”


End file.
